378 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[ Surface features. 



lake into lake Albert Lea falls eight and a half feet, and is the site of a 

 dam and mills. 



The plats of the United States surveyors, on file in the Register's office at Albert Lea, indi- 

 cate considerably more area covered with timber, or as "oak openings," when the county was 

 surveyed by them, than is now the case. The following minutes are based on an examination of 

 their plats, and will give a pretty correct idea of the distribution of the oak openings and the 

 prairie tracts throughout the county. 



London. The most of this township is prairie, a belt of oak onenings and timber entering 

 it from the north about three miles wide, and extending to the center, bearing off to the southeast 

 and terminating in section 24. The magnetic variation throughout the town was, when surveyed 

 (1851i, from 8 20' to 10" 42 , the greatest being in sees. 33 and 34. 



Oakland. A little more than a half of this township consists of oak openings, an area in 

 the easten: half only being prairie, with a small patch also in sec. 31. Two large sloughs cross 

 the town, one through sections 30, 31 and 32, and the other through sections 4, 5, 8, 7 and 18. 

 Magnetic variation about 9, varying from 8" 12' to 10 8', in 1854. 



Moscow. Nearly the whole of this township is taken up with oak openings and marshes. 

 Turtle creek crosses it from N. W. to S. E. A large portion of the northern half of the town is a 

 floating marsh, containing a great quantity of peat. Magnetic variation from 9 20' to 10 20' in 

 1854. 



Newry. ' There is a small patch of prairie in the northeast part of this town, sees. 1, 12, 13 

 and 24, and a small area in sees. 20 and 21. There is another in the N. W. corner, embracing 

 sections 6 and 7, and parts of 5, 8 and 18. The rest is openings and marsh, particularly marsh 

 in the S. W. corner. Magnetic variation 8 20' to 9 40', in 1854. 



Shell Eock. A belt about U miles wide along the west side of this town, accompanying the 

 Shell Rock river, constitutes the only openings or timbered portion, the rest being prairie. This 

 district also comprises some marsh, viz.: sees. 19 and 31. The first house in the county was built 

 in sec 33 in this town, in the S. W. quarter. Magnetic variation 8 45' to 10 15-, in 1854. 



Hayward. A wide belt of prairie occupies about two- thirds of this town, running north 

 and south through the center. On the west of this is a rolling tract embracing a portion of lake 

 Albert Lea and some tributary nurshes, while on the east a large marsh covers sections 12 and 

 14, and portions of 13, 11, 15, 22 and 23. There is also a prairie tract in sec. 1. 



Eiceland. This township is about equally divided between prairie, openings and marsh 

 the first being in the south central portion, the second in the northwest and central, bordering on 

 Rice lake, and the marsh in the northeastern part of the town. Magnetic variation from 8 45' to 

 10 30'. 



Geneva. There is but little prairie in this town, the southern portion being comprised in a 

 large marsh which is crossed by Turtle creek, the outlet of Walnut (or Geneva) lake. The cen- 

 tral portion is occupied by oak openings which also extend to the N. W. and W. boundaries. The 

 prairie is in the northern and eastern portions. Magnetic variation 9 10' to 10 23 , in 1854. 



Freeman. This township comprises no prairie. It is mostly devoted to oak openings, but a 

 series of marshes, drained by the tributaries of the Shell Rock, that cross it toward the S. E. take 

 up a considerable area in the central and eastern portions. Mag. var. 9 to 10 P 40', in 1854, the 

 greatest being in sec. 31. 



Albert Lea. This township is nearly all taken up with oak openings, but a few small 

 marshes, trending N. W. and S. E. are found in different portions. There is also a small patch 

 of prairie in sec. 6, and another in the S. E. corner of the county. The western arm of Albert 

 Lea lake, through which the Shell Rock river runs, is in the central and eastern part of this town 

 and adds greatly to the variety and beauty of its natural scenery. Pickerel lake is also partly in 

 this township. Mag. var. 8 46' to 10 8'. 



Bancroft. A little more than one-fourth of this township is prairie, situated in the central 

 and southwestern portions. The rest of th'e town is covered with oak openings. The source of 

 Shell Rock river is in the N. W. part of this town. Mag. var. 8 50' to 10" 15-, in 1854. 



Bath. An area of openings comprising about half of this town in the central and eastern 



